Top 10 Features of an ATS

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by companies to source, engage, monitor & track, assess and onboard candidates. Whilst ATS platforms have the potential to make hiring more efficient and cost-effective, it is important for recruiters to understand what features a system includes to decide whether it is fit for purpose. In this blog post, we will look at 10 top features of an Applicant Tracking System.

Top 10 Features of Applicant Tracking Systems 

1. Automated Job Requisitions - An ATS enables you to ensure your 'request to recruit' process is followed, every time. It automates the process of raising accurate and approved job requisitions to start recruiting quickly. This improves accuracy and helps reduce time spent on waiting for approvals so you can get started on attracting the best talent to your organisation.  
2. Track and Monitor Applications - With an ATS, you can track and monitor the status of applications in real time, reducing delays across the whole recruitment process. You will also be able to manage all your relationships with candidates, companies, contacts, vendors and vacancies and view whether a candidate has withdrawn their application or if the position has been filled.
2. Customisable Search Filters - An ATS should offer customised search filters to help you find the right candidates faster within the database. This includes searching by keyword, location, vacancy type, and more. Such search filters are especially useful when dealing with a large volume of job applications and of course talent pooling (see point 9).  
4. Scheduling Interviews - Once you have identified the best candidates, an ATS can be used to schedule interviews quickly and easily. The system can send out automated notifications and reminders to help keep both applicants and recruiters informed and allowing candidates to self-select interview slots.  
5. Candidate Engagement - A key feature of any ATS is its candidate engagement features to keep in contact with candidates more effectively. Providing potential applicants with an easy way to apply for jobs, learn more about the company, manage and track their applications progress and data preferences is essential. An ATS should also allow candidates to sign up to job alerts and allow an organisation to effectively communicate with active and passive candidates through automated communications throughout the recruitment process.
5. Onboarding - Once you have hired the right candidates, an ATS should be able to manage the entire job offer process online to collect everything you need from your new hires to successfully onboard them. This will help speed up the process of onboarding new hires and get them up to speed faster.
5. Complete Reporting Analytics - Reporting analytics are absolutely essential for recruiters. Look for an ATS that can provide customisable reports that allow you to analyse trends over time and real-time data across your recruitment process. Look at what the UX is like in creating dashboards, how you can quickly create and personalise dashboards that matter to you. Many ATS platforms will have some form of reporting capability but not all will provide what you need to measure everything you need and to optimise recruitment efforts.
5. Integration Capabilities – Integration allows systems to be connected and data to be shared between systems without having to manually move it from one platform to another. An ATS will act as the hub of your online recruitment efforts and integration capabilities will allow the 'hub' to connect to HRIS, accounts and payroll systems as well as testing providers, background checking and Right-to-Work providers. This might not be something you want to do immediately when implementing an ATS but you should have the capability to do so for the future.
5. Talent Pooling – Talent pooling allows employers to easily find qualified applicants from a large group of potential candidates. Those may be passive candidates who may not have applied for the open position yet but who have signed up for job alerts. It might also be a candidate who applied for a job with you and was unsuccessful on that occasion. A talent pooling strategy allows employers to quickly identify potential candidates who should already be 'warmed up' or engaged with your brand. Features that allow you to create and manage your own hierarchy of desired skills to then match it to vacancies with advanced searching will reduce time to hire and cost of hire with access to warm, pre-screened candidates.
5. Customisation – Applicant Tracking Systems are an essential tool for recruiters to streamline hiring process. However, not all ATS platforms are created equal. Having the flexibility to adapt an ATS to your exact requirements/workflows/processess is key. The more flexible and customisable the better. Afterall, organisations change, people change, the market conditions change and your ATS should be able to easily flex with you.

Contact Eploy for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Expertise 

At Eploy, we offer a highly configurable Applicant Tracking System designed to help you attract, hire, and speed up the process of recruitment. Get in touch with our specialist team at Eploy to find out how we can help you meet your recruitment goals or schedule a personalised demo. No hard sell, no strings attached. Just some winning ideas to help you with your recruitment strategy.